9 August 2021
Despite Amazon reporting more large gains in sales and earnings in the second quarter of 2021, investor attention was drawn to the conglomerate's outlook for the third quarter, which sees revenue increasing 10-16% over last year's third quarter. Operating income is projected to fall from last year's third quarter of $6.2 billion, to between $2.5 billion and $6.0 billion. Revenue in the just-concluded second quarter jumped 27% (the mid-point of its forecast) over 2020, and operating income rose 33%, to $7.7 billion. Some analysts saw the modest forecast as a sign that the pandemic-fueled boom for Amazon could be cooling.
